Film gate for cameras



Oct. 7, 1947. F LE 2,428,348

FILM GA EEEEEEEEEE As BY A T TOD HEY.

Oct. 7, 1947.

BlDpLE FILM GATE FOR CAMERAS Filed June 30, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 l N VEN T02 Fem/f: Ef B/DD/.E

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Patented Oct. 7, 1947 FILM GATE FOR. CAMERAS Frank E. Biddle, Los Angeles, Calif., assigner, by mesne assignments, to Warner Bros. Pictures,

Inc., New York, N. Y.. a

Ware

corporation of 'Dela- Application June 30, 1945, Serial No. 602,482

2 Claims. (Cl. 81E-18.4)

The invention relates to a film gate for a camera and more particularly to a film gate wherein pilot or register pins are not employed. The film is prevented from overrunning the claw or pull-down mechanism by a number of features which result in friction in the gate and on the edge of the film, and the film is guided by a relatively fixed edge guide plate on vwhich the rear edge of the film rides and by a spring pressed front plate mounted on the door. When the camera is initially threaded with film, the claw is away from the gate and it is not possible to know with certainty that the claw will engage the sprocket holes in the film when the camera is set into operation. If the claw engages an imperforate portion of the edge of the film, the nlm would be damaged and the film wouldnnot be propelled properly through the camera. This is overcome according to the present invention, by arranging the path of the claw longitudinally displaced in the film path away from the exposure aperture, at the rear ofand projecting through a slot in the back plate which holds the film on the exposure aperture. In front of the back plate is arranged a movable front plate curved to conform to the path of the claw and to the curvature of the back plate beyond the exposure aperture, and this curved front plate is provided with a companion slot through which the claw projects. The curved front plate is urged towards the back plate by spring pressure to hold the filmon thevclaw when the claw properly engages the sprocket holes in the film, and more particularly to allow the film to move away from the back plate in the event that the clawv engages an imperforate portion of the edge of the film wheny initiallyv setting the camera into operation, as above explained.

For further details of the invention reference may be made tothe drawings wherein Figs. 1 and 2 are front and -rear views in perspective of a motion picture camera embodying the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation ofthe camera of Figs. 1 and 2 with parts broken away, with a portion of the lm gate shown in section, and with the door of the camera removed.

Fig. 4 is a. sectional View on line I-ll of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5--5 of Fig. 3.'

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view on line 6-6 of Fig. 3. y

. Fig. 7 is a view corresponding to Fig. 3 on a smaller scale, with the film reels and movement mounting plate removed.

Fig. 8 is a view in elevation of the rear of the movement mounting plate.

Fig. 9 is a view inelevation of the inside of the cover of the camera, on the same scale as Fig. 7.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of the movement mounting plate removed from the camera.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the camera casing I houses the film supply reel 2 above the take-up reel 3. The camera is driven by a motor in the casing 4 having an electric circuit 5 and speed regulator i. l At the side of the camera is a suitable view-finder I operated by a handle l. The lens turret 9 is provided with a suitable photographing lens l0 although additional lenses may be employed. The camera may be held in the hand or secured to a suitable support il.

As shown in Fig. 3, secured to the back wall I2 of the camera is a movement mounting plate I3, held in position by suitable screws such as I4, I5, I6 and located in position by suitable po-p,

The periphery IQ,` of the movement mounting plate, the rear view off. which appears in Fig. 8, is roughly in the shape` of an equilateral triangle with the base vertical Q and it fits in a correspondingly shaped recess IS,

sitioning pins such as I1.

in the back wall I2 as indicated in Fig. '1. The back wall I2 is also recessed to partially house the various gears of the back of the mounting plate I3 as later described.

Referring particularly to Fig. 3, the lm from the supply reel 2 is led under the bottom and across the front-upwardly from aA supply sprocket 2l by a film guide 22. The film. 20 is threaded in a free loop 23 between the sprocket 2| and the entrance of film gate 24, then down-` wardly through this gate, in a free loop 25 at the exit side of the gate, then upwardly across the front and top of the take-up sprocket 26v and then directly to the take-up reel 3. The

film 2B is held on the front and top of sprocket 26 by a film guide 21 similar in shape to film guide 22 but reversed in position. The intermediate portion of each film guide 22 and 21 is concentric to its sprocket, while its opposite ends flare out, the rear end of guide 22 forming one end of a lever 28 pivoted to the movement mount ing plate I3 at 23 at the rear of `and slightly below the axis of sprocket 2l. yLever 28 has. on

the same side of pivot 29 as the film guide 22,`

a lever arm 30 having a slot SIengaged by a pin 32 on a threading plate 33.-

Film. guide 21 is similarly constructed and forms one annof al lever pivoted at 34- to the.,

3 movement mounting plate |3, at the rear of and slightly above the aXis of sprocket 26. Film guide 21 similarly has a lever arm 35 having a slot 36 engaged by a pin 31 on the threading plate 33.

The front of the casing has an aperture body 38 carrying aperture plate39h'faving an eX- posure aperture40.

Secured to the threading plate 33 is a back plate 4| having a pressure pad 42 to hold the film at on the aperture plate 39.

As shown in Fig. 10, the pressure pad42 has vertical side rails 43 and 44 on lwhich the edges f of the film ride, the pad 42 carrying a plurality of rollers 45. The pad 42 is removably held in an opening 46 in the back plate 4| by means of a horizontal leaf spring not shown, the free end o`f which bears against the rear plate 41 of the pad .K

42, and the other end of which is suitably secured to a rear extension of lthe edge guide plate 48 which is suitably 4fixed to the 'back plate 4|. The edge guide plate 48 at the front 49 thereof lprojects forwardly of 'the back plate 4| and serves as a straight edge against which the rear edge of the film rides.

As shown in Fig. 10, the lower portion 50 of the back plate is lcurved and provided with a slot 5| through which the claw 52 projects.

"In front of "back plate 50 is a similarly curved front plate 53 having aslot`54 like slot 5|, through which the claw 52 projects when curved plate 53 is parallel to back plate 50, being urged in that posltionfto define a channel vfor ,the film through the lower portion of the film gate, as shown in Fig. 3, yby a spring 55, the front end. of which is secured to the camera body as indicated at 56, andthe free end`5`| ofwhich rests on the upper portion of the curved plate 53. The curved plate 53 is pivotedon 'ahorizontal axle -58 carried by the lower front corner ofthe movement mounting plate I3. The rearward movement of curved plate 53 under action of the spring 55 `is limited by astopf59 on the movementm'ounting plate |3. The curved pressure plate 53 has a central depressed portion 53' to avoid scratching the emulsion, the sides of plate -53 holding the face edge portion of the film 'against the opposite sides of theback plate 50. 1 j

The spring, not shown, acting on the pressure pad 42 is comparatively weak to avoid applying enough pressure to the film to scratch the emule sion, whereas the strength of spring 55 is greater so that curved plate -53 will hold the longitudinal edges of the film against the front of the curved back plate 50. v

When the camera is fiirst set into operation1 if the clawr .52 does not engage a sprocket hole but instead engages an imperfora'te portion of the edge of the "film, vthe spring 55 permits th'e claw to push'both the film and the curved -pl'ate 53 'away from the curved portion 50 of the back plate, the claw traveling downwardly until it slides into 'a sprocket hole, whereupon the spring 55 urges the curved plate 53 forwardly to push thefilm onto the claw52.`

-v As shown in Fig. '3, the claw 52 is at the front end of an arm, the rearendof `which has a rocking slide pivot `60 kand an intermediate Vcam 6| on a cam shaft -62 (see Figs. 4 and'). Cam shaft 62 lhas a bearing sleeve G3-held in the movement mounting plate |'3 by -a nut 64. Cam shaft 62 has a. gear 66 in a recess 65 at the back of the movement mounting plate I3. Behind gear 66 is a .fly wheel 61. Cam shaft `62 carries-a ball-bearing=68l`which islidably t'sin an aperture 69 in the 4 offset back wall 10 of the camera. Cam shaft 62 terminates rearwardly in a beveled gear 1| which meshes with a driven beveled gear 12 on power shaft 13 having shutter gear 14 at its front end, and a gear 15 at; its rear end. Gear 15 is driven by the motor gear 16. Gear 16 is carried by motor casing 4 and the latter is removably `held on the camera Vcasing extension 11 by suitable screws 18.

Fig. 7 illustrates the aperture 69 in back of which is the driven gear 12. Bearing 68 slides into and out of aperture 69 when movement mounting plate I3 is assembled on or removed from' the back wall |2.

Referring to Fig. `8, which shows the rear of the movement mounting plate I3, the cam spur gear 66 meshes with spur gear 19 which is secured to 4and drives the supply sprocket 2| (see also Fig. 4), and gear 19 drives gear 80 carried by the movement mounting plate |3. The footage indicator 8| shown in Fig, 4, may be coupled to the gear-80.

At the other side of cam gear 66 'is Igear 32 fixed to the take-up sprocket 26. The gears 586, 19, Il and 82 are all spur gears and are rotatably carried by the movement mounting Aplate 13. Plate I3 at its llower rear portion, as shown at 83, `is cut away so that gear 82 will mesh with a pinion 8'4' (see Fig. 7 rotatably carried by the back wail |-2of the camera, pinion 84-meshing with a geor |35 which drives the take-up Areel 3.

As shown in Figf, gear 85 is coupled to take-up reel 3'by a friction 'drive here illustrated as comprising tubular shaft A8'6, the left 'end of which is of comparatively ylarge diameter and mounted Zin` a bearing `81 and held by the head of an end screw '88. The enlarged end ofshaft 86 has integral therewith a 'friction disk '89 yand the gear 85 is rotatable on the shaft 86 and clamped between friction disk 89 and a spring pressed plate i90 carrying'a pin 9| which extends through aslotz .in shaft 86. Bearing 'on pin 9| is a yplunger 93 acted on by a spring 94 having a screw plug-95. TakeL u-p-reel 3 has anon-circular coupling 96 (see Fig. 3) with the :brake member 90. As shown in Figs. 4, l5, 6, 7 and 9, arising 'from the back wall I2 is a side fwall 91 having a steppeed continuous rim 98 interfitting with th'e rim 99 on a door |00. The door :|00 .may be locked in position on the casing by. means of a suitable lock device |0| having a handle |'9 and lock bolts such as |02 engaging apertures such as I 02' in the rim 98 of the casing. In order to hold'the rear edge of the film against the edge guide plate 49, (see Fig. 10),'-the door |100 carries a. flat straight movable edge guide plate |03 which as shown in Fig. 4, is slidably carried at its 'upper and lower ends o'f posts 104, `|05 on thedoor |00. Bearing against `the opposite ends of the movable edge guide |03 is abow'spring |06, the lcentral portion of which is 'suitably secured to the inside of door |00 by means such 'as screws |01. As shown in Fig. 6, the edge guide |05 is of substantial width and 'as shown in Fig. 4 it extends lengthwise from the top of the back'platc 4| to a point adiacentthe take-up sprocket-26 vand hence as will appear 'from Fig. 3, the edge guide |03 extends over the straight as well as the curved portion 50 of the back vplate 4|. The spring pressed edge guide |03, when '-door |00 is closed, is parallel to the relatively fixed edge guide vplate 49. The back Yplate 50, aperture plate 39, and curved pressure plate 53 are slightly narrowerthan the film, in fact .004 inch narrower than fresh film and about`.001 inch narrower than'old nlm which has shrunk. Hence pressure kedge guide |03 rides on and applies pressure to the front edge of the film to urge the rear edge of the film against fixed edge guide plate 49, through a film channel whereof the upper portion is spring pressed forwardly by the pressure pad 42 and the lower portion is spring pressed rearwardly by the curved plate 53.

As shown in Figs. 4, 6 and 9, at the rear of edge guide |03 is a lug |08 inwardly projecting from the inside of door |00. The front of lug |08 is flat as shown at |09 in Fig. 9 to extend adjacent the rear of back plate 4I and hold the latter in closed position shown in Figs. 3 and 6 to define a channel for the film. Lug |08 also prevents the door from being closed if back plate 4| is in open position, as in this event the end of lug |08 would engage the side of back plate 4| and prevent closure of the door.

Threading plate 33 is slidably mounted on movement mounting plate I3, for movement in a straight line, whereas the axes of cam 6I and pivot bearing 60 are fixed in the movement mounting plate. To allow threading plate 33 to slide relatively to plate I3, threading plate 33 has an enlarged aperture I I0 through which the cam shaft 62 and slide pivot bearing 60 project. Threading plate 33 has slot III above aperture IIO, slot II2 therebelow, and slot I|3 at the rear of aperture |I0, these slots slidably receiving the Shanks of three screws II4, and IIB, respectively, having heads wider than said slots. Threading plate 33 is moved back and forth by a handle II8.

When handle IIB is moved to the right as shown in Fig. 3, the back plate 4I is moved rearwardly to open position and film guides 22 and 21 are swung towards each other and forwardly away from the front of their respective sprockets 2| and 26, to open a channel for the film and permit the film to be threaded on those sprockets and through the gate 24. After the film has been threaded, with free loops 23 and 25, as shown in Fig. 3, the handle IIB is moved to the left to close the back plate 4I and pivot film guides 22 and 21 away from each other and rearwardly to the closed positions shown in Fig. 3.

The back plate 4I is held in closed position shown in Fig. 3 not only by the door lug |08, but also by friction due to the heads of screws H4 to |I6 engaging the face of threading plate 33. Screws II 4 to IIS are threaded into plate I3.

It will be noted that no pilot or register pins are employed. The film is prevented from overrunning or over-throwing the claw 52 due to the friction in the gate provided by the pressure pad 42 and more particularly by the friction due to the front pressure plate 53.

The invention provides a unit construction wherein substantially all of the film traversing mechanism including the threading device, is mounted on the removable movement mounting plate I3 for ease of assembly and repair. Also it is simply necessary to operate a single handle |I8 to open or close the threading channel through the sprockets and gate.

A compact arrangement with the supply and take-up reels 2 and 3 close together and close to the front of the camera is provided by supporting these reels with the rear flanges thereof offset from the back wall I2 of the camera, as shown in Fig. 5, whereby the reels 2 and 3 overlap certain rear portions of the movement mounting plate I3 as shown in Fig. 3, with the rear end of threading plate 33 and handle I8 extending in the space between reels 2 and 3 as shown in Fig. 3.

The threading arrangement is disclosed and claimed in application S. N. 602,484, filed June 30, 1945, for Camera. The edge guide feature is disclosed and claimed in application S. N. 602,483, filed June 30, 1945, for Film guide for camera.

It will be apparent that various modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A camera casing having an exposure aperture member, a movable back plate therefor, said back plate having a. pressure pad therein for said `aperture member, said pressure pad and said aperture member providing a straight channel portion for the film, a claw movement behind said back plate, said back plate below said pressure pad having a curved face and an elongated aperture therein to receive the claw, a correspondingly curved front pressure plate having a companion elongated aperture to receive the claw, said curved front plate having a raised central portion to escape the film emulsion and lateral film engaging edges, a pivotal support crosswise of said casing below said back plate for said curved front plate, spring means for urging said curved front plate towards said curved back plate portion, and stop means limiting movement of said curved front plate by said spring to expose said claw when said back plate is withdrawn.,

2. A film gate having consecutive film channel portions and a movable gate member common to lboth thereof, wherein one of said film channel portions comprises a fiat exposure aperture member and a pressure pad on said movable gate member for pressing the film forwardly against said aperture member, the other film channel portion comprising a spring pressed plate for urging the film rearwardly against said movable gate member, film traversing mechanism having a claw, aligned slots in said spring pressed plate and in said movable gate member for said claw, and means supporting said movable gate member for opening movement inwardly along said claw to expose said claw for manual threading,

FRANK E. BIDDLE.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Lang et al Jan. 16, 1934 Number 

